St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-24
A Report to the Chamber of Commerce in
Favor of Big Canal in
Minnesota,
To Connect the Waters of the Great Un-
salted Sea and the Mississippi
River.
Important Showings From Surveys
Made by Two or Three Expert
Engineers.
What the Canal Would Cost--The
Saving in Frefghts--A State
Document.

committee on Mississippi river, respecting
the connection by a canal Of the waters of
that river and Lake Superior The report
has been made after consultations with men
who have studied this question. and en-
braces the results of the Investigations of
engineers who have made surveys. The
tenor of the report is in favor of the pro-
ject. 1t is as follows:
The committee on the Mississippi river, to
whom was referred the resolutions of J. W.
McClung, asking u report upon the feasibility
and eXpedeucy of connecting the waters of
Lake Superior with the Mississippi river and
the best measures to secure the improvement,
If found expedient and possible, would re-
spectfully report the accompanying commu-
nication from Hon. w. H. c. Folsom, formerly
state senator from Taylor's Falls,
upon the subject by L. X Stannard
and 4. Il. Davis and another by George r.
Stuntz, showing the feasibility and expedi-
ency of the proposed improvement, and Civ
ing facts and figures in detail which should be
printed and preserved for reference, but
which are too vouminous to allow more than
brief summary in this report. From these
documents we make the following extracts:
In March, 1885, $4,000 was appropriated by
the legislature of Minnesota for surveys.
Three routes were surveyed by l.. X. STAN
nard and r. r. Davis-one from Taylors
river, up this river and across the summit to
White river and by that to the lake. Another
at st. CroiX to upper st. Croix lake, thence
across the summit to the Bois Brule river
thence TO the lake. A third route at st.
CroiX to Kettle river up to Moose lake, Hang
ing Horns Lake to Left Hand river.
Their conclusions were that the small ap-
preparation did not give them either time or
means TO make any accurate survey of any
route; that the Namakagon route, 250 miles
the Brule river route was the shortest and
best, being los miles long, but had the dsad-
vantage of having no natural harbor at the
lake, and the Kettle river route, about 200
miles long, was the most expensive of the
three but had good harbor. already i'm
proved, at superior bay.
MIR. George r. Stuntz. in an article pub
lished on the subject, says: "Can Lake St.
CroX at Saltwater be connected with Lake
Superior by canal and slack water naviga-
ton? Yes. This question has been definitely
settled by the recent examination of the
United States engineers, under the direction
of Maj. Charles j. Allen, of the source
of the st. CroiX river, with refer
ence to the construction of reservoirs. BY
constructing dam one mile above
the mouth of Moose creek, on
the st. CroiX, high enough to raise the
water twenty-five feet, cutting a canal seventy
five feet wide, twelve feet deep, one aud q
half miles long across the summit, and build
ing dam i'll town 46, range 10, across the
Brule river high enough to raise the water to
the same height is the dam on the st. Croix
and you construct lake thirty miles
long, affording uninterrupted navigation
across the summit for that dis
tance, and utilize the waters of the
st. CroiX and its branches and the Brules,
and the amount of water (I5,3O0 cubic feet
per minute from the st. Croix and 5,S05 per
minute from the Brulel is sufficient to pass
vessels through locks 75 feet wide 800 feet
long, 121a feet lift, at the rate of three per
hour or y in "a hours at the driest
season of the year.
THIS Sc TILES THE QUESTION
of practicability.'' He estimates twenty
eight locks ana dams between Saltwater and
the summit and thirty locks and ten dams on
the Brule river, and the whole cost as less
than eight millions of dollars, with an aver
age cost per mile of $1,000 Continuing, he
says: "Will it pay to spend this money? 1t
costs now from to cents buShel TO ship
wheat by rail from Prescott to Lake Superior
and it has to pass through one elevator, if
not two, on the route. By water it can be
carried for 2 cents per bushel. The same for
u bushel of corn. 1t now costs about
$3.50 per ton for all that class of
goods received in exchange for grain
oil, coal, salt iron and machinery. With this
Improvement this class of goods can be car
ried for 60 cents per ton. The surplus crops
of Northwest Wisconsin, including the valleys
VI luc OtilppSNd dt:u Sl SrOl& TIVBfS, cuDaQi1
of producing 15,000,000 bushels of wheat an
nually, If they 90 not do it at present, and
Southern Minnesota 30,000,00G bushels of
wheat and other products equal in tonnage to
one-third of that amount, or $4,000, 900 bushels
surplus. This improvement on ex-
ports alone. would be say
ing to the states of S3,000,00O a year.
In three years, with favorable seasons more
than the full cost of the improvement would
would be saved to the region benefited. The
estimates that dam at the mouth of the st.
CroiX holding three-foot head on this lake
as a reserve from the spring freshets would
store up 34,O13, 500 cubic yards of water to be
use d in the dry season in August and Sep
tember to improve the navigation of the Mis-
sissippi river. and continuing this plan to the
source would afford a continuous reservoir
$50 miles long
ANOTHER ROUTE.
Mr.. Folsom writes that the Hon. H. NJ
Rice gave him much valuable information of
a connection from Upper ST. Croix lake to St.
Louis river harbor as being practical route
passing over the high lands dividing the Su-
perior and st. CroiX waters, through coun-
try susceptible Of easy improvements, with
no insurmouutable hills to overcome-a dis
tance of about thrty-fve miles. ''This route
would be well supplied with reservoirs, and
should engineering skill prove lt available
would be the most direct route. Small streams
between upper st. CroiX lake and the state
line, flow from the north into the st. Croi-
river, whose sources almost interlock with
streams flowing north into st. Louis bay. /
would recommend a minute examination of
all the country between Kettle and st. Croix
rivers, for herein lies the shortest route to
Lake Superior but the shortest route to
make eastern connections would be by the
Nemakagon and White rivers to Ashland
1.-The enlargement of ST. Mary's canal
and Hay river to give twenty
feet of water and the improvement
by the Dominion government of the Welland
and Lachine canals are all being prepared for
the passage of vessels of 5000 tons burden
between Duluth and European ports. The
Dominion government has under considera-
ton also ship canal across the isthmus sew
ering Nova Scotia from the continent, thus
shortening the commercial trade between st.
Lawrence and the Atlantic cities. With all
these enterprises and our St Crox canal
opened, we will be from 300 to 500 miles
NEARER THE MARKETS
of the world than at present, the route will
be traversed in two-thirds of the time, our |
grain going out from the head OF the contf-
nent protected by our northern climate with !
out breaking bulk, will reach markets quickly |
and be fresh and pure. Figures can hardly |
compute the vast amount of transportation |
that will ultimately pass over this northern |
route. Ocean steamers will be constructed |
especially for this inland American trade, |
as was the case with the Suez canal. |
Hundreds of vessels are employed transport |
ward for smelling and manufacturing. II a |
portion of this trade could be centered into |
our upper Mississippi valley, when the ores !
of Superior meet midway the coal from the |
south of US, who can estimate the result? |
These Northern mineral regions are becom- |
ing hives OF industry which are being fed |
from our praires.'
Mr.. Folsom concludes his communication |
with the following valuable data: "Our high
latitude, which is sneered at by the sophlsti- |
cal reasoner as against the northern route. is |
sheer fallaey. Boats cannot go to Chicago
until the Straits of Mackinac are open, at
which time they can go to Lake Superior
The straits and St Mary,s canal close from